Today in Salem: It’s dark, and the pious Mary Esty is crying and shrinking into a corner behind her husband, whose arms are stretched out to protect her as he commands the Marshall to leave. But the Marshall just leans in and reaches between the two of them.
“No! No! No!” she cries, but the Marshall is expressionless, pushing her husband aside with one hand and grabbing her by the arm with his other. It was near midnight when the Marshall had burst in, and they’d been sound asleep in their bed. Now he’s dragging her through the house and out the door, giving her no time to say goodbye or put a petticoat on over her shift.
Mary Esty had been in prison for just over three weeks when she was summoned by the magistrates for another hearing. The afflicted girls had said they weren’t sure any more that it was Mary’s specter who’d been tormenting them. One girl, the servant Mercy Lewis, disagreed, but the judges had released Mary anyway.
Mary has been home for only two days, but during that time Mercy Lewis has suffered even more severe fits, hovering near death, eating nothing, and begging Mary’s specter to spare her life. Now the other girls have changed their minds. Mary was behind their afflictions they say. She had just blinded them to the truth. The constable, magistrates, and Marshall agree, and now Mary has been arrested again.
Tomorrow in Salem: *** Sensitive Content*** CHAINED and PREGNANT